A Dark and Snowy Night
by songbook
Summary: A blizzard snows in the guests of a dinner party at Downton Abbey. Ensemble/Mult Pairings
1. A Little Bad Weather

**Chapter 1: A Little Bad Weather**

 **A/N:** I'll be honest, I don't know much about the weather in Yorkshire, but I assume it snows there. And in the case of my little story, there could be enough snow to fall at once to get everyone snowed into Downton. If I'm wrong, well, just call this an AU then. There will be a little romance for a bunch of people in this fic. Not sure how many chapters there will be, but this isn't a novel or anything. And I made up all of the names of people related to the hospital.

 **A/N Part 2:** I started this before 6x05 came out. This is a very different dinner party, I promise.

Thomas Barrow paused at a window on his way up to the dining room to stare outside. It had started snowing about an hour ago when the guests had begun to arrive, but now the weather outside could be considered a blizzard. Joseph Molesley nearly ran into him with the soup and exclaimed, "Really, Mr. Barrow, this is no time to be day dreaming."

"I'll leave the day dreaming to you, Mr. Molesley," Thomas scolded. "The weather is getting bad and I have a feeling tonight's dinner may last longer than anyone imagined if this keeps up."

Molesley glanced out the window and had to agree. He could hardly see beyond a few meters from the house, the rest of the yard was obscured by a swirling white mist. Every once in a while a strong gust would rattle the windows before the house fell still again. It had been a long time since Downton Abbey had seen a snow storm this bad.

"Come on," muttered Thomas. "Storm or no storm, Mr. Carson will be wanting to serve dinner."

The two hurried to the dining room where the conversation was focused on the future of the village hospital and it was quickly turning heated. The current Lady Grantham was backing her guests: Lord Beverly, the York Hospital Overseer, Dr. Rommel, the chief surgeon, and Mrs. Becker, a member of the board. Isobel Crawley and Lord Merton made up the rest of that side of the argument while the Dowager Countess, Lady Shackleton, and a begrudging Dr. Clarkson held steadfast on the other.

Apparently this wasn't the first time Lord Beverly and Violet Crawley had feuded over matters of the county and both were attempting to draw blood. The very petite and nervous Mrs. Becker had found refuge next to Lady Shackleton, who had taken pity on the woman and tried at least to keep her voice at a proper level. To everyone's great surprise, Dr. Rummel and Dr. Clarkson were getting along splendidly and were having their own discussion quietly at the end of the table. In Dr. Rummel's words, they were doctors, not politicians.

Lord Grantham exchanged a worried glance with Mr. Carson as voices and tempers continued to rise. Not that he was getting any help in mediating the situation; Edith was arguing both sides, Mary was purposefully playing the devil's advocate, and Tom was too amused by the situation to offer peace. Just as Robert was about to call for order, there was a loud crackling noise and suddenly the dining room plunged into darkness.

The sudden loss of light was first met with a shocked silence. There was a low glow from the candles on the table, so the lack of electrical light hadn't left the room in complete darkness. Robert took charge of the situation immediately.

"Well it seems the storm has gotten worse than we thought. While we figure out how bad it is, I'm sure Carson can arrange for some more candles to be brought in so we can finish our dinner."

"Of course, my Lord," replied Mr. Carson with a nod of his head. "Mr. Molesley, if you would inform Mrs. Hughes that more candles are needed, I'm sure the maids can find enough."

"It just started snowing not that long ago. Surely it hasn't gotten that bad already," commented Cora.

Thomas cleared his throat. "It's almost a blizzard out there, my lady. If this keeps up, we may get snowed in."

"If the snow has caused the electricity to go out, I hardly think our driver will be able to get through," said Lord Beverly with a frown.

"I'll be sure that our housekeeper, Mrs. Hughes, prepares enough rooms for everyone just in case," assured Cora. At that moment, Andy and Molesley came back in pushing a cart of candelabras. "For now, let's enjoy this wonderful meal, even if it is an old fashioned evening."

"Nothing wrong with a little tradition, I say," muttered the Dowager.

Downstairs, the maids were scrambling to collect linens and candles. Mrs. Hughes stood in the middle of the chaos. "We're going to need eight extra rooms made up. We'll put Mrs. Crawley and Lady Grantham in their normal rooms and the others down the hall. Make sure that the fireplaces get lit in all the rooms, otherwise someone will catch their death. And for goodness sakes, Anna, put that box down!"

Anna Bates tried not to roll her eyes at the housekeeper's overbearing words. Ever since the Bates' had sat down the Carson's and told them of Anna's pregnancy, the two had been treating her as if she would break at any moment. She knew they had guessed of her difficulties getting pregnant and were just being protective, but she still had a job to do. "It's just some blankets, Mrs. Hughes. I'm taking them up to the drawing room in case it gets cold with some of the heating out."

Mrs. Hughes eyed her carefully before nodded stiffly. "Very well. But that's all you'll be carrying tonight."

"Yes, Mrs. Hughes," Anna replied, trying not to laugh at the woman's mothering nature. She had hardly taken two steps however, when another voice was chastising her.

"Give that to me, my dear. You shouldn't be lifting heavy boxes!" Mr. Bates was suddenly at her side.

Huffing at her husband, Anna snapped, "I am perfectly capable of taking some blankets upstairs. I'm pregnant, not an invalid!" With that, Anna proceeded upstairs with her box, leaving a bewildered Mr. Bates behind.

"She's not angry with you," Mrs. Hughes assured. "I just told her not to lift anything and she corrected me. Not to mention, pregnant women can be slightly more emotional. Don't take it to heart, Mr. Bates."

"I shan't. I just came down for some more matches. We're trying to light up the sitting room."

"There should be some in the kitchen. Ask Daisy."

Mr. Bates began to walk away, but stopped. "Are we being to over-protective?"

"Never, Mr. Bates. Never." And with a wink, Mrs. Hughes went back to sorting out her maids.

Upstairs in the dining room, the conversation was flowing once again, only this time there were no arguments. Instead, stories were being shared of infamous dinners being ruined by the unpredictable weather.

"I once attended a horse show and we were dining in a tent not far from the pasture so we could look at the thoroughbreds. There had been a light drizzle of rain, but since we were under the tent, it didn't matter much. That is until there was a loud crack of thunder that startled the herd and they bolted for the barn," told Lord Beverly to his captive audience. "One of the horses must have clipped the rope holding the tent in place, because next thing we knew, the canvas had come down on top of half the table and mud was slinging everywhere."

A great laugh waved through the table. Robert jumped in quickly with a story of his youth that had his mother up in arms by the end of it. Carson watched the dinner turn from a disastrous battlefield to a table of friends. The loss of electricity had not effected the food, as Mrs. Patmore had already finished preparing it. He took a deep sigh of relief. Sometimes, the old ways were just as good as the new.

The happy and full guests proceeded to the Drawing Room to continue their conversations. The storm outside was much more noticeable as the daunting wind rattled the windows and even with the fireplace roaring, there was a chill in the air.

"It may take a while for the room to completely warm up without the heater, but we've got some blankets around in case anyone needs one," said Mr. Carson.

The group spread out in the room to continue their chatting. Robert sidled over to his wife and whispered in her ear, "Well, this evening turned out better than I thought."

Cora smiled and shook her head, "Thank goodness for a little bad weather. But we still haven't settled the matter of the hospital."

"It appears we have all night and possibly breakfast to discuss that. For now, let's just enjoy a little candlelight." Until this moment, Robert hadn't realized how much he loved to watch the light of a candle dance across his beautiful wife's face. Electric light just did not give off the same glow. He didn't know if it was the wine at dinner or the excitement of the evening, but all he wanted was to have his wife alone. In fact, the snow storm outside had him thinking of another night so many years ago. "If I recall correctly, you and I have gotten snowed in together before, when Mary was little. That blizzard may have been responsible for Edith."

"Robert!" gasped Cora, looking around quickly to be sure no one had heard. Her husband had a smug look on his face and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Do you remember?" Robert was lost in the memory and Cora's heart filled with love at the site of him basking in the memory of some rather fantastic love making, if she did so say so herself. Those few days, snowed into Downton, just the two of them and little Mary, she and Robert had found out what making love meant, and not just seeing sex as a wifely/husbandly duty.

"Of course I remember, but now isn't really the time, my dear."

He winked at her and murmured, "I guess we'd be terrible hosts if we just disappeared upstairs for a reenactment…"

"Stop it, you!" Cora gave him a half-hearted swat on the arm. "We are being terrible hosts, over here by ourselves. And now I'm going to rescue poor Mrs. Becker from Mama."

"Yes, the woman doesn't stand a chance." Robert watched his wife walk away and tried to keep his mind from drifting back to a little bad weather from so long ago.

***An error that may be in this fic is how dependent the Abbey is on electricity in the mid 20's. I'm assuming that the majority of lighting is done through electricity…which technically is practical as there was electricity in most households by this point. Although heating may have still been dependent on fireplaces…I'm sure that no one but me cares about stuff like that…***


	2. Card Games and Children

**Chapter 2:**

 **A/N:** Thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorited. I believe this will be 4-5 chapters as chapters 3 & 4 are already written. And they will be up quickly…I suspect I'll have them edited a day or two after I post a chapter (not like this one!). This is my first time writing some of these characters (such as Tom, Molesley, and Baxter), so I'd really like opinions on characterization. Also, I refer to Mrs. Hughes by her maiden name as that is what she is being called…but this takes place after the wedding.

Joseph Molesley found Phyllis Baxter making a bed in one of the usually unoccupied rooms. She seemed to be struggling to get the sheets to fit the mattress so he rushed in to help. "Shouldn't one of the house maids be doing this?"

"Normally, yes, but we've got eight rooms to make up and since her ladyship won't need me until later this evening, I offered to help," she answered as she pulled the final corner down. "Could you grab that red blanket to put on top?"

Molesley walked over to the chair the blanket was neatly folded on, saying, "That was nice of you to help."

"With the reduction in staff, we don't clean all the rooms the family doesn't use as often as we used to. Mrs. Hughes wanted us to do a thorough cleaning before anyone came upstairs. And I have to admit, I'm a bit above scrubbing floors."

"I should say so," Molesley laughed. Together, they spread the blanket over the bed.

"Thanks for the-" Before Baxter could finish her sentence, the latch on the window broke and the cold wind whipped into the room. She let out a strangled gasp at the shock of the sudden change in temperature. Snow was blowing in through the open window and the fire in the fireplace went out immediately.

"We need to close the window!" shouted Molesley over the wind. Baxter was closer and was trying to reach the shutters. She had managed to push one of the window panes into place and Molesley threw his wait into the other one to slam it shut. The wind was pushing heavily against them and the latch had broken completely off.

"Now what?"

"We need something to lock it into place otherwise we're going to have a blizzard in here!" Molesley moved to shove his back over both panes and motioned for her to look around the room. He winced as the window hit him in the back of the head. "Anything will do! Hurry!"

Searching desperately around the room, Baxter had come up empty. All of the sudden, she reached up to her hair and hastily pulled out the pins. "Here, we should be able to force these in and it will hold temporarily!"

The two quickly stuck her hair pins into the latch and stepped away slowly. The wind rattled the panes, but they remained closed. Both Molesley and Baxter took a sigh of relief. "That won't hold for long, but it give us enough time to board it up good."

Baxter looked around the room and started laughing. "So much for cleaning up the room." The cause for her humor was easy to identify. A thin blanket of snow lined the floor around the window and the red blanket they had just put on the bed was dusted with white. Both Molesley and Baxter's clothes were soaking wet from the wind and snow and her hair was falling down in a mess around her shoulders.

"I'll help you clean it up," he offered.

"Well first we should get something to board up the windows with." Baxter attempted to dust off some of the snow off her black dress, but only managed to smear water around. She was still laughing as she shook the water off her hand.

"Here, let me help," he said with a smile.

Molesley attempted to wipe the snow from her dress and she reached out to dust off his shoulders. He reached out to wipe the stray hairs from her cheek and his fingers lingered for a moment, before taking one of the wet long locks that now hung around her shoulders between his fingers. The moment froze between them at the intimate connection. They were standing inches apart and if he just leaned forward…

All of the sudden he pulled back and stammered out an apology, "I don't know- I'm sorry…I'm just going to…"

"Joseph," she said and grabbed his hand. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You don't need to hesitate or apologize with me."

The rattling of the window pulled brought them both back to the situation at hand. Sighing, Baxter stepped away from him and pulled the snow dusted blanket off the bed. Heading to the door she looked back at him and had to stifle a giggle. Molesley was frozen by the window with a stunned look on his face.

"Mr. Molesley, we really need to board up that window and clean this room."

Nearly jumping out of his skin, Molesley rushed over to the door. "Right. Of course. I'll just go downstairs to get the- the, um- the stuff." He rushed past her to the door, leaving Baxter giggling in his absence.

In the drawing room, the Crawley's and their guests were unaware of the incident with the window, but the merriment was growing thin. It was past the time most guests would have stayed around and although Carson had brought out more drinks, conversation was beginning to slow. Edith, Mary, Lady Shackleton, and Violet had settled on some sort card game in the corner. The gentlemen were standing around the window, probably discussing the weather.

Isobel was standing quietly with Cora and Mrs. Becker when a she felt a hand on the small of back and a voice in her ear that whispered, "Would you like to play cards?"

"What?" She turned slightly to address Dr. Clarkson.

He shrugged and repeated, "Would you like to play cards? You look like you could use a distraction."

"I'm not sure it's a good idea for Lady Grantham and myself to be in any sort of combatants tonight," Isobel answered with a glance in the direction of the game being played in the room.

"I didn't mean them. Tom has informed me that there is a game going on downstairs and I am in charge of recruiting a partner." He nodded towards the door where Tom was hovering.

"Why not?" she said with a smile.

Turning to Cora and Mrs. Becker, Isobel made her excuses and then followed Dr. Clarkson and Tom downstairs. When they rounded the corner by the kitchen, gleeful laughter could be heard. Mrs. Patmore and Daisy were entertaining Sybbie, George, and Marigold. The nanny was sitting near them and jumped to her feet at the sight of Isobel. And she wasn't the only one who noticed the new people downstairs.

"Grandmama!" George set down the cup he was drinking out of and rushed over to his grandmother to give her a hug.

Isobel picked him up, smiling. "Hello, my darling. What are you doing down here?"

"We're having chocolate milk," answered Sybbie as she motioned for her father to try her drink.

"Hmmm," Tom said, taking a sip. "Mrs. Patmore has outdone herself this time. Do you want to sit with Papa while I play cards?"

Sybbie nodded excitedly and grabbed Marigold's hand. "Come on, let's go with the grown-ups."

"Hold on, I'm coming," said Mrs. Patmore as she removed her apron and picked up a candle to guide them the rest of the way. "Andy needed a partner."

The group proceeded to the servant's hall where the Bates', Mrs. Hughes, Thomas, Baxter, and Andy were waiting with a couple decks of cards and a bottle of wine. Molesley, who had refused to play on the grounds that he was a horrible rummy player, was sitting near Baxter. She had convinced Thomas to play opposite her. Mrs. Patmore took her chair opposite Andy and Mr. Bates and Anna were playing as partners.

"Here we all are! And the little ones too." Mrs. Hughes motioned for Marigold to sit on her lap, as Sybbie was with Tom across the way and George was sitting on his grandmother's lap. The table had candles and empty drinking glasses scattered around.

Thomas began dealing the cards and mentioned, "I wouldn't bet much, if I were any of you."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Because I distinctly remember losing terribly to Dr. Clarkson and Mrs. Crawley when we used to play at the hospital during the war. Even when I was partnered with Lady Sibyl." Everyone laughed and Isobel rolled her eyes.

Tom kissed little Sybbie on the cheek and said, "Your mother loved to play cards."

"Teach me?" asked Sybbie.

"Well if you pay attention while we play, maybe you can learn." Sybbie nodded and started picking up the cards that her father was dealt. "But don't show anyone our cards!"

The group started laughing as Tom hastily hit the cards from any prying eyes. Sybbie's lip stuck out in a pout, but her eyes danced in the laughter of the group. Tom whispered in her ear why it was important that no one knew what they had in their hand. The little girl nodded seriously and asked to hold some of the cards. Mrs. Hughes had poured out some wine and the game began in earnest.

"How's married life treating you, Mrs. Carson?" asked Isobel while she motioned for George to lay a card into a discard pile on the table. "I don't mean to pry, but I haven't found time to talk to you since the wedding. Which was a beautiful ceremony, by the way."

Mrs. Hughes looked up in surprise. "As well as expected for two people of our age, I would say."

"Marriage always comes with adjustments at first…although I hope you won't be fleeing the country any time soon," commented Tom.

Mrs. Patmore let out a hearty laugh. "My goodness, can you even image Mr. Carson as a fugitive?"

"Or sitting a prison cell," added Mr. Bates, his comment causing Anna to roll her eyes.

"No, I daresay I cannot." Mrs. Hughes collected a card from the table. "But we are still getting on, if that's what you're asking. Just a bit of adjustment in our old age."

"Oh, I wouldn't say adjustments after marriage are only for those of us that are a little older. When Reginald and I first married, we found that we both preferred to sleep on the right side of the bed."

"How on earth did you decide?" asked Anna with a giggle.

Isobel smiled and replied, "We flipped a coin."

"Even with the changes, I would definitely marry him again," murmured Mrs. Hughes with a blush. Mrs. Patmore patted her friend's hand and then took a card from the table.

Mrs. Baxter nudged Mrs. Hughes' elbow from the other side. "Well, on behalf of the staff, we think that marriage suits the two of you."

"Don't you get dragged into the conversation," warned Thomas after Isobel took her turn and the play was his. "This is part of their strategy. Mrs. Crawley starts an innocent, but distracting conversation, and Dr. Clarkson calls the game."

Isobel turned to her left to face him and protest, "You make it sound like we are up to no good, Mr. Barrow."

"Well, they can't be as bad as Mrs. Crawley and old Lady Grantham playing as partners. Now that's a beating I'll never forget," said Tom, playing his turn. Andy just shook his head, but remained silent as he picked up the card Tom had just laid down.

"I'm not sure that we have a strategy, but I do believe that's the game," said Dr. Clarkson and he and Isobel laid out their cards. The entire table groaned and threw their cards into the middle. Isobel and George were clapping gleefully from their chair and Thomas was muttering under his breath.

Sybbie watched curiously as Mr. Bates shuffled the cards. With a small smile, he whispered to her while the others were talking, "Would you like to deal?"

The little girl nodded eagerly and to Mr. Bates' and Tom's great surprise, Sybbie clambered out of her father's lap and ran around the table to climb into his. Without hesitating, Mr. Bates took her small hands into his large ones and shuffled the cards with her. Across the table, his wife beamed with pride and unconsciously rubbed the small bump of her stomach.

The downstairs card players were a couple rounds in when Cora and Edith interrupted their game in search of the children. Marigold was delighted to see her 'Aunt' and the thrill of the game had worn off for George and Sybbie. Sybbie had made her way around the table and was now sitting in Baxter's lap, but jumped down to rush over to her Aunt and Granny.

"Let's play a different game," said George from Isobel's lap. "Grandmama, do you want to play a game with Auntie and Granny?"

With a smile, Isobel replied, "Why don't you start playing with them and I'll join you when we're done here." Her answer seemed to please her grandson and George wiggled off her lap to join Sybbie, Edith, and Cora.

"Marigold, darling, would you like to come and play to?" asked Edith gently. The little girl had hardly made a sound all night, choosing instead to watch the game with eagle eyes from Mrs. Hughes' arms.

"Of course she does," answered Sybbie, who proceeded to walk over to the little girl and help her down. Hand in hand, the two girls walked back over to Edith and Cora.

"Sybil, Marigold is capable of deciding if she wants to play without your help," scolded Tom.

Sybbie pouted, but didn't let go of Marigold's hand. "But I want her to play!"

Before Tom could say anything else on the matter, Marigold firmly said, "I want to play with Sybbie and George."

"Of course you do," rescued Cora and grasped the little girl's other hand. "How about you decide on the game?"

The children and their Granny and Auntie headed back upstairs as Sybbie and George started shouting games to play.


	3. Something Un-Lord-Like

**Chapter 3: Something Un-Lord-Like**

Isobel and Dr. Clarkson were on their way back to the others when he paused in front of a window. The snow was still falling heavily and there didn't seem to be an end to the storm. Dr. Clarkson sighed and muttered, "So much for trying to make it back to the hospital tonight."

"You were going back? In this mess?"

"If we got caught unawares, other people may have too and they could have been injured. This is a horrible storm and even if they managed to get to the hospital, they can't call me for help."

"Doctor, it'll be fine. The nurses on duty can handle anything until the storm breaks and they're able to clear some of the snow to the village." Isobel rearranged the blanket that was over her shoulders to keep her warm and patted his arm sympathetically. Sometimes she forgot how dedicated he was to his job and his patients. He gave her a forced smile. And the two stared out the window together at the white swirling snow outside. It was almost as dark inside as it was out. Fires had been lit and candles placed around, but the hallways full of shadows.

"I had fun tonight," he finally said.

Isobel smiled and replied, "Me too."

"I missed us." He must have heard how his comment sounded, because he quickly covered. "I mean, I miss just being your friend. And I know that's partly my fault…"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Isobel looked surprised at the sudden change in topic. "Richard, we're still friends, I don't know…"

"Isobel, just let me talk." Dr. Clarkson put both of his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. "Please don't interrupt me. I need to say this…just let me talk, okay?"

"My goodness, Richard, go on." Isobel wrapped the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders. They had both had a little bit to drink during the card game and she knew that made him braver than normal.

He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes, although the brown was hard to make out in the low lighting. "We have been friends for a long time now and I was content with that. But when I heard you were engaged to Lord Merton, I didn't know what to do. All I could think at first was that he wasn't right for you and I couldn't get past it. So I acted like a complete fool…"

"Richard," started Isobel, but she stopped talking immediately at the look on his face.

"I panicked. All I could imagine was you becoming Lady Merton and moving away and we wouldn't…I was losing you. So for some reason I just tried to let go of you all at once. I acted like a jealous idiot and pushed you away…" He took one of her hands gently, as the other was clutching the blanket around her. "And that was a mistake. I want you to know that no matter what happens, no matter who you marry, you'll always have me."

Isobel waited until she knew he was finished before calmly stating, "I'm not marrying him."

"I know you called off the engagement, but you shouldn't let his sons dictate your happiness. If you want to marry him, to hell with them. He's in love with you and-"

"But I'm not." Dr. Clarkson didn't seem to hear her whisper.

"-and he would treat you right. So, as your friend, I'm telling you to marry him." By looking into his eyes, she knew his words were cutting him deep. Tears prickled in her own eyes and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Isobel had been certain she would never know love like this: unselfish and genuine. He was trying to convince her to marry another man because he thought that's what would make her happy.

"Richard, I'm not marrying him." Isobel let go of his hand long enough to reach up and brush her fingers across his cheek. "I'm not the type of woman who becomes Lady Merton. It's not me. I don't want to sit in cushioned chairs and have people over for tea for the rest of my life. I want to work- get my hands dirty. I don't want the kind of life where married couples sleep in separate bedrooms and only see each other for meals. Dickie loves me, yes, I believe that is true. But I'm not in love with him."

Her words must have come as a complete shock to him, because all Dr. Clarkson managed to stammer was, "I'm not sure what to say."

"People seem to forget that I didn't grow up in this life and neither did Matthew. Dickie is very dear to me, but I don't think I'm cut out to be a Lord's wife. My goodness, I didn't even realize he was courting me until he proposed- he's always so proper and by the rules. I can't live like that."

"No, I don't suppose you could. I can't imagine the woman who ran off to France in the middle of a war entertaining dinner guests for the rest of her life." They both laughed and the tension faded away.

Isobel fiddled with the edges of her blanket. "There's one other reason I decided not to marry him."

"Oh?"

"I missed you." Isobel looked up to meet his gaze shyly. "And I realized I didn't want to live a life without you in it."

"Isobel," he murmured. "May I do something very un-Lord like?"

She raised her eyebrow and stifled a giggle. "Depends on what you plan on doing…"

"I'd like permission to kiss you right now."

Isobel felt the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She was a grown woman, for goodness sake. A man asking to kiss her shouldn't make her so nervous. She gave a small nod and self-consciously wet her lips. Dr. Clarkson took a step forward and cupped her cheek. The first time their lips met, the kiss was soft and gentle, but Isobel felt her breath leave her body. She wanted more, but he pulled back.

When she spoke again, she hardly recognized her own voice. "I'd like permission to kiss you again."

Dr. Clarkson couldn't hide the smile on his face. This time he placed his hand on her hip to pull her body full against him and his other hand slipped around the back of her neck. This time there was force behind his kiss and she couldn't help wrapping her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. Her fingers dug into his shoulders when he slipped his tongue between her lips. The two were lost in the darkness of the hallway, all by themselves.

They continued kissing as he guided her backwards until she was pressed between his warm body and the cold wall. The blanket fell forgotten to the floor and Isobel ran her hands over his chest and gasped as his lips found other places to kiss along her neck. He didn't linger long before recapturing her lips. His hands rand down the length of her torso, stopping to rest at her hips.

"Have you seen- oh my goodness!" A voice nearly shouted. Isobel and the doctor broke off the kiss immediately and he jumped away as if he'd been burned. Edith was standing in front of them, her cheeks were flaming red and glowing in the light of the candle she was holding. She stammered out an apology, "I'm so sorry…we're playing hide and seek with the children and I just...I'm sorry!"

By the time Isobel managed to find her voice, Edith had bolted down the hallway, leaving the two alone in the darkness once again. Dr. Clarkson was blushing nearly as bad as Edith had been and Isobel was still close enough to him to make out the change in color in his cheeks. For some reason this caused Isobel to start giggling.

"Should we go after her and…"

"And what, Richard?" Isobel shook her head in laughter. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his waist and said, "It's our fault for necking like teenagers in the hallway. We're lucky it was only Edith who found us. She has enough secrets of her own to worry about. Now let's get back to the sitting room. People are going to start thinking we were up to something."

"Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

She swatted at his shoulder causing him to laugh, his earlier embarrassment forgotten. Isobel picked the blanket up off the floor and wrapped it around her shoulders once again. "Come on. And stop looking so smug."

Dr. Clarkson started to open his mouth, but thought better of it. He was however, having a hard time wiping the smile off his face. Isobel rolled her eyes at him, but tucked her hand through the crook of his arm and they walked back to the drawing room. They were passing the partly opened door of the library when they heard giggling followed by a male voice hushing the giggler.

Curious, Isobel pushed the door the rest of the way open, but she didn't see anyone inside. As she was about to shut the door, she heard a loud THUMP and a voice cry out, "George!", followed by more giggling. Raising an eyebrow at Dr. Clarkson, she walked into the dark room. To her surprise, she found her grandson laying on the ground, laughing. Although she didn't have a candle, the fireplace gave off enough light to see him.

"George! What on earth are you doing?"

"Donk bonked his head," he informed her, still lying in front of Lord Grantham's desk on the richly colored rug that decorated the room.

"Isobel, is that you?" came a man's voice from what sounded like beneath the desk.

"Robert?" Kneeling down next to George, she was now at eye level with the underside of the desk. It took every ounce of self-control not to join her grandson's giggles when she peered into the darkness: Robert Crawley was sitting cross-legged and hunched over under his own desk. "My goodness, Robert!"

The man sighed in frustration. "George thought this would be a great hiding place."

"We're playing hide and seek!" piped up the little boy.

"But now I appear to be stuck," said Robert, rubbing his head, which Isobel assumed to be the source of the thump she had heard earlier.

Isobel bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Doctor, could you come in here and give me a hand?"

Dr. Clarkson squatted down next to Isobel and George to peer under the desk. "Having fun, Lord Grantham?"

"Very funny. Just get me out of here before anyone else sees me," muttered Robert, inducing more giggles from his grandson and cousin. Dr. Clarkson lifted one of the ends of the desk slightly so the other man could crawl out from under it. Robert stood up and dusted himself off. Turning to George, he said, "That's the last time you get to pick the hiding spot!"

"But no one found us!"

"Your Grandmama and the doctor did!" Robert scooped the little boy off the floor and over his shoulder. "We're going to find a new hiding spot."

"Well, you are going to have a hard time unless you get him to stop laughing," commented Isobel.

"Do you want to play Grandmama? You have to hide from Mama and Lord Mert."

"Lord Merton," correct Robert. George didn't pay him any attention, but continued to stare at Isobel hopefully. Robert shrugged and helped the boy out. "I believe everyone is playing now. Mama went upstairs and so did Lord Beverly and Mrs. Becker, but I don't think there is anyone left in the drawing room. Cora even got Dr. Rummel and Lady Shackleton to participate. I believe everyone is hiding in pairs. Marigold is hiding with Lady Shackleton and I believe Cora is with Sybbie."

"Pleeaassse…" begged George. Isobel kissed his forehead where Robert was holding him up.

"Well, if you insist." Turning slightly back to where Dr. Clarkson was leaning up against the desk, Isobel thoughtfully replied, "I'm sure the doctor and I can find somewhere where no one can find us."

Robert carried out his giggling grandson, having missed his cousin's innuendo. Dr. Clarkson, on the other hand, was glad the room was as dark as it was, for his blush was back.


	4. Sleeping Arrangements

**Chapter 4: Sleeping Arrangements**

 **A/N:** Now for some good old fashioned Chelsie and Cobert. I've got one more chapter to wrap this little story up with. Enjoy the fluff!

Elsie Carson wasn't sure what time the hide and seek game had ended, but she did know the only reason it did end is because Tom and Marigold were found fast asleep behind the curtains in the dining room. Although George and Sybbie protested, the nanny said that their eyes closed as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Most of the downstairs staff had gone up after the card game had broken up, but she had stayed to have a nightcap with the Bates' and Mrs. Patmore.

The storm may have knocked out the power, but it had turned out to be a wonderful evening. Although, she wasn't sure that the matter of the hospital had ever been resolved. According to her husband, it looked as though old lady Grantham was fighting a losing battle. But all of that had been easily forgotten it seemed, as there had been a lively game of hide and seek that didn't just include the children.

Now, Elsie was listening to the storm in her old room in the attic. It had died down considerably and she had no doubt that crews from the village would be up before dawn, clearing the snow on the roads. But in her mind, the storm had been a welcome blessing, as it had given everyone an enjoyable and relaxing evening. On the other hand, she would really love to be in her own bed in her warm cottage, not stuck in this cold single bed with piles of blankets.

She found it humorous that after only five months of marriage, Elsie missed her husband's company in her bed. Before they had been married, she had stressed about the idea of sharing a bed with him after sleeping alone her entire life. But Charles was warm and solid, even if he did snore. Her little attic room was much too quiet for her to fall asleep now. Elsie rolled over on her side and sighed. Five months of marriage and she couldn't even fall asleep without him? It was silly. All she had to do was close her eyes; goodness knows she was tired enough.

In her head, she had calculated that it had probably been close to an hour since she had laid down. Even on the most stressful of days, she never had trouble falling asleep. So what was bothering her now? Did she miss Charles? They had worked together all day and he was just down the hall, sleeping in his own room. A fleeting thought ran across her mind: was he having this much trouble sleeping too? Or was he perfectly content to be back in his old room, alone? Elsie bit her lip at the thought. She had to admit, it would upset her, if he preferred his cold attic room to their marriage bed.

There was only one way to find out for sure. Elsie jerked back the blankets that covered her night gown clad body and her bare feet hit the cold hard wood floor noiselessly. She quickly slipped on her robe and grabbed the keys off the hook by the door. If she was going to do this, she needed to do it now, before she changed her mind. Years of experience helped her navigate the dark hallway in complete silence and there was no hesitation when she unlocked the door that separated the men from the women.

However, when she finally reached Charles' door, she hovered nervously. What if he was asleep? It had been an exhausting day and he was sure to be irritated that she was breaking the rules. Oh, his precious rules- he wouldn't even call her Elsie inside the Abbey walls. No, she was Mrs. Hughes at work and Elsie Carson at home. Well, that was about to change. Drawing her back up straight, she knocked lightly on the door.

To Elsie's surprise, the door opened immediately to reveal her husband in his own robe. Confusion was written all over his face when he whispered, "Mrs. Hughes, is everything alright?"

There was that name again. Her old name. Why couldn't he be improper for once in his life? Elsie shooed him back into his room with her hands. "Let me in, Charles."

Whether it was his shock of seeing her at his room at this hour or if he actually remembered they were man and wife, Charles stepped aside swiftly and ushered her into the room. Elsie scanned the room while he shut the door and was astonished to see a candle lit at the desk and a book open.

"You couldn't sleep either?" his deep voice broke the silence. He was watching her closely, hands tucked into the pockets of his robe. There was no trace of anger or annoyance in his voice, just curiosity.

"I'm afraid not." Now that she was here, Elsie was quite nervous. And that was silly, too. He was her husband for goodness sake. Sighing, she took a seat on the edge of his bed. "I slept in that bed for more years than I wish to admit and now it seems foreign to me to sleep alone."

Charles just hummed in reply and went to his desk chair. "And coming here is solving that problem how?"

And these were the moments she wasn't sure why she married the daft man in the first place. Irritation rose up in her and she made a split second decision. Still glaring at him, she threw back the blankets on his bed, stripped off her robe to the floor, and climbed into bed.

"Elsie!" She ignored him and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. Charles let out a huff of protest. "Elsie, you can't sleep here!"

"Why not?"

"First, it would be inappropriate."

She rolled over to face him, but didn't leave the bed. "Charles, I'm your wife. There's nothing inappropriate about sleeping in your bed. I was under the impression that you enjoyed the last few months of sharing a bed."

Charles actually blushed and blustered, "Second, that bed is too small for both of us."

"Not if we sleep on our sides," said Elsie with a smirk. "And get a little closer…"

"Elsie!"

"Oh for goodness sakes, Charles, I wasn't suggesting we actually do anything." She sat up in the bed, the blankets pooling around her waist. "I just can't sleep."

Charles' eyes softened and he leaned back in the chair before admitting, "I couldn't either."

Elsie patted the part of the bed next to her and turned back onto her side. She heard some shuffling as her husband shed his robe and the bed creaked as he climbed in behind her. Charles wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close.

"This bed is smaller than I remember," he grumbled and Elsie let out a giggle. "We're going to regret this in the morning."

"Probably." They laughed together which only made the bed creak more. Elsie snuggled back into his chest and gave a content sigh. "I love you, Charles Carson."

"And I love you, Elsie Carson." And with those words, Elsie finally found sleep in the arms of her husband in the tiny little bed in the attic.

Below them, another couple was getting ready for bed as well. Or at least, one of them was trying to. Cora Crawley was about to ring for Baxter when Robert entered the room in his dressing robe.

"Wait, don't ring for her!" He shouted quickly as ran over to grab her arm. Cora looked at him like he had completely lost his mind, but Robert just smiled mischievously and said, "I wanted to undress you tonight."

"Out of this dress?" stated Cora doubtfully. The evening had started as a dinner party, after all. Her maroon colored gown may have looked simple once on, but the laces and buttons that Baxter had carefully done up before dinner were much more complicated than the tie on her dressing gown her husband was used to. "I do recall you attempting to undress me out of a different gown and then we had to explain to O'Brian why the buttons were caught on my corset."

"I have a feeling Baxter will give us less of a lecture than O'Brian did…but you don't wear that difficult corset anymore. And this dress doesn't look that complicated."

"Robert, just let me ring for Baxter." Taking one look at his face, Cora sighed in defeat and turned around so her back was to him. "Fine, if you really want to, let's get this over with."

Expecting his fingers to start working at the back of her dress immediately, Cora gasped in shock at the tender kisses Robert began to place on her pale neck. His breath made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end when he whispered sensually, "I'm not in a rush to get this over with."

Turning her around, Robert ran his fingers tenderly over her arms down to the tips of her gloved fingers. His passion-filled eyes never left hers as he pulled at the tips of each of her fingers to work the dark purple gloves loose. A simple kiss was pressed to the inside of her wrist before he started working on the next one. Cora could hear her heart pounding in her ears and she wasn't sure if she was breathing properly. Thirty years, three children, three grandchildren, and a lifetime of love, she still trembled at his touch.

The dress came off next, albeit not as easily as her gloves. He tanged the laces at her neck at first, but managed to get the buttons undone without trouble. Or at least, Baxter was only going to have to sew one back on; not that either of them cared at the moment. The beautiful gown pooled at her feet, but she didn't move. They could both see her reflection in the mirror. All she had on now was her cream colored slip and her heels. Robert hummed in satisfaction and turned his attention to letting her hair down. Cora appreciated his care not to hurt her as he delicately pulled each pin to release a dark curl onto her neck.

Robert's lips brushed against her bare shoulders and his hands worked to push the straps of her slip off her shoulders and the silky material fell on top of her dress. She could feel the chill of the room, but she was certain the temperature wasn't the cause of the shiver that ran down her spine as her husband walked around to kneel in front of her. He traced the curve of her calf before hooking a finger around the strap of her shoe and pull it off. He took his time freeing her other foot, no doubt he could her the hitch in her breath.

Once he had finished undressing her, Robert took a step back and gazed at his wife in her naked splendor. He wasn't sure what had overcome him, maybe it was the bump to the head, but all he wanted to do since the power went off was have his wife all to himself. There was a pink blush on Cora's cheeks and he could tell she was just as turned on as he was. He didn't bother to try to hide the arousal in his voice when he said, "They haven't come up with a word to describe how beautiful and perfect you look right now."

Cora couldn't find words to reply. This was a rare side of her husband, one that was very precious to her. Barefoot, she stepped over the dress at her feet and came to stand inches away from him. She raised both hands to rest on his shoulders and pushed herself on the tips of her toes to kiss him just as tenderly as he had undressed her.

But Robert was done with tender touches. His hands found her bare back and the tangle of dark hair to pull her flush against his body so she could feel his arousal. The kisses were heated now and he was no longer holding back. Cora met his passion without a second thought and pulled the tie of his dressing gown and pushed it off quickly. It didn't surprise him to find him naked beneath it. Now that they were skin to skin, Robert pushed her back to the bed, only stumbling a bit over her forgotten clothing.

They were both done with talking and all of their years of experience helped them to express all their love without the words. The thick quilt and the flickering fire helped to warm the room, but most of the heat was being made on their own. The snow storm may have been dying down outside the window, but the storm of two lovers was one that could last all through the night.


End file.
